Apparatus for removing liquid from fibers

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for removing liquid from fibers by pulling air across the fibers with a vacuum means. The air moves through openings in a rotating roller that is in contact with the continuously moving fibers.

United States Patent I Meyer et al. 4 51' Aug. 8, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR REMOVING LIQUID [56] References Cited FROM FIBERS UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventors: Richard D. Meyer, Greenvllle, 'S.C.;

Zbigniew w k Nashville, 3,196,555 7/ 1965 Frledel et al ..34/ l l5 Tenn. Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. [73] Asslgneez Phllhps Petroleum Company An0mey young and Quigg [22] Filed: Oct. 5, 1970 5 B CT [21] App]. No.: 78,119 I 1 v y An apparatus for removmg llquld from fibers by pulling air across the fibers with a vacuum meansQThe }J-tS.C(iI i moves through openings in a rotating roller is 11- t t l m 58 Field of Search ..34/l6, 92, 110, 115,122 m c "nous y ovmg as I 8Claims,3Drawing Figures 2 VACUUM 24 i 32 l4 SOL?CE 2 8 I6 26 6 l8 12 H E 22 30 removing liquid from continuously moving fibers while maintaining forces exerted on the fiber at a low value. If excessive forces are exerted on the fiber, said fiber will be stretched causing cross sectional area changes in the fiber and with extreme forces said fibers will be broken.

This invention therefore provides'an apparatus and method for removing liquid from continuously moving fibers while maintaining forces exerted on the fibers at a low level by contacting openings in a roller with the fiber, moving air and liquid from the fibers through the opening while rotating the drum to prevent abrasion and other forces from being placed on the fibers during contact with said roller.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.

The drawings are diagrammatic views of the apparatus of this invention and associated equipment.

FIG. 1 shows the apparatus of this invention in partial section,

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a drum and roller of the apparatus, and

FIG. 3 shows the apparatus of this invention and associated process equipment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a stationary vacuum drum 2 is fixedly attached to support means 4. The drum 2 has a first end 6 and an outer surface 8 with a chamber 10 formed therethrough and opening preferably on the first end 6 and on the outer surface 8 for the passage of fluid therethrough. The drum 2 can be of cylindrical, conical or frustoconical configuration but should be of cross-sectional circular configuration in order to provide for easy construction for hereafter-described sealing and rotating structure contacting the outer surface thereof. In order to easily provide for sealing adjustment after wear of the elements, it is preferred that the drum 2 be of conical or frustoconical configuration thereby allowing coaxial movement of associated elements for increasing the amount of sealing therewith.

A vacuum source 11, such as a wet-type industrial vacuum cleaner or the like, is attached to the first end 6 of the drum 2 in communication with the chamber 10 for moving fluid through the chamber of the drum 2.

A rotatable roller 12 is positioned about the drum 2 in substantially sealable contact with the drum 2. The roller 12 has an outer surface 14, first and second ends 16,18 and a chamber 20. The chamber is open on the first end 16 and closed on the second end 18 of the roller 12. The chamber 20 of the roller 12 has dimensions sufficient for receiving at least a portion of the drum 2 in nesting, rotatable relationship and covering the outer surface opening of the drum chamber 10. A plurality of openings 22 forms an annular band 24 of openings through the roller 12 adjacent the outer surface opening of the drum 2. Sealing means 26, such as ring gaskets and the like, can be attached around the periphery of the inner surface 28 of the roller 12 for contacting the outer surface 8 of the drum 2 about the opening on the outer surface 8 of the drum 2 for maintaining substantially all of the flow of air through openings 22 of the roller 12 that are in close proximity with the outer surface opening of the chamber 10 of the drum 2. By attaching the sealing means 26 to the roller 12, the roller'l2 can be coaxially moved relative to the drum 2 for adjusting the amount of sealing.

- A power means 30, such as a variable speed electric motor for example, is attached to the second end 18 of the roller 12 for rotating the roller 12 at preselected speeds and passing openings 22 of the roller 12 past the chamber opening on the outer surface 14 of the drum In order to maintain the fibers in contact with the outer surface 14 of the roller 12 and the openings 22 formed therethrough, it is preferred that the outer surface 14 of the roller 12 have a groove.32 formed along the band of openings 24. In order to direct the flow of air substantially through only openings 22 of the rollers that are in contact with the fibers, and maintain the length 'of fibers contacted during any one period at a low value sufiicient to remove liquid therefrom yet sufficiently small as to maintain forces exerted on the fibers at a low level, it is preferred that the opening on the outer surface 8 of the drum 2, as shown in FIGI'2, span a peripheral length not greater than about one half, preferably not greater than one sixth, of the circumference of the drum 2 and that said opening be directed generally upwardly. It is also preferred that the opening on the outer surface 3 of the drum 2 span a peripheral length equal or smaller than the peripheral length over which the fibers contact the outer surface 14 of the roller 12.

For providing openings through the roller 12 that are sufficiently small so as to prevent draping or pulling of the fibers into the drum during contact therewith, it is preferred that the openings be a plurality of holes having a diameter not greater than about one-thirty-second inch. Where extra heavy fiber or tow is utilized, the openings are, for example, as large as one-sixteenth inch. Such small openings can be provided by providing sintered material or a band of screen material formed of metal, glass, plastic or rubber, for example, about the outer surface of the roller 12. Metal or glass is preferred screen material to provide a surface of reduced abrasive properties.

A line 34 can also be connected to the discharge of the vacuum source 11 for recovering fluid therefrom and transporting said fluid to associated processing apparatus (not shown) such as, liquid separation and purification apparatus.

In the method of this invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a fiber or plurality of fibers 36 are passed through a process such as a water quenching tank 38, for example, from other process apparatus which wet the fibers with a liquid such as, for example, a spinneret 40. The fibers 36 are continuously passed into contact with openings 22 formed through the roller 12 while said roller 12 is rotating at a peripheral speed preferably substantially equal to the linear speed of the fibers passing in contact therewith and in the same direction as the moving fibers. A vacuum is continuously applied to the openings 22 of the rotating roller 12 contacting the fibers 36 for moving fluid from the fibers through the openings 22. The fibers 36 are thereafter removed from the roller 12 for recovery thereof for further processing. In order to maintain the amount of forces exerted on the fibers 36 by roller 12, the roller is positioned so that the fibers 36 contact the openings 22 of v recovered from the fibers 36 by the apparatus of this invention can thereafter be directed to. associated processing apparatus for separation and reuse. An example peripheral speed of the roller would be the speed at which fibers are being formed and passed through a outer surface with a chamber formed through the drum opening on the first end and on the outer surface for the passage of fluid therethrough;

a vacuum source attached to the first end of the drum in communication with the chamber for moving fluid through the chamber of the drum;

a roller having an outer surface, first and second ends and a chamber opening on the first end of the roller, closed on the second end with said chamber having dimensions sufficient for receiving at least a portion of the drum and covering the opening on the outer surface of said drum, and a plurality of openings forming an annular band of openings through the roller adjacent the opening on the outer surface of the drum, said roller being rotatable about the drum in substantially scalable conv tact with the drum; andmeans for rotating the roller and passing the openings of the roller past the opening on the 1 outer surface of the drum at selected speed while passing fibers in contact with the annular band of openings of the roller and moving fluid from the fibers through the openings of the roller and the drum.

2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means is avariable speed electric motor connected to the second end of the roller.

3. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the roller has a groove formed along the band of openings extending therethrough for guiding fibers into contact with said band of openings.

4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the opening on the outer surface of the drum spans a length of not greater than about one-half of the circumference of the drum.

5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the opening on the outer surface of the drum is directed generally upwardly.

6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1', wherein the f h 11 o Kr? a p paratus, as set forth in claim 1, further including means for recovering the fluid from the vacuum source and transporting said fluid to associated processing apparatus. 

1. An apparatus for removing liquid from fibers, comprising: a stationary vacuum drum having a first end and an outer surface with a chamber formed through the drum opening on the first end and on the outer surface for the passage of fluid therethrough; a vacuum source attached to the first end of the drum in communication with the chamber for moving fluid through the chamber of the drum; a roller having an outer surface, first and second ends and a chamber opening on the first end of the roller, closed on the second end with said chamber having dimensions sufficient for receiving at least a portion of the drum and covering the opening on the outer surface of said drum, and a plurality of openings forming an annular band of openings through the roller adjacent the opening on the outer surface of the drum, said roller being rotatable about the drum in substantially sealable contact with the drum; and means for rotating the roller and passing the openings of the roller past the opening on the outer surface of the drum at selected speed while passing fibers in contact with the annular band of openings of the roller and moving fluid from the fibers through the openings of the roller and the drum.
 2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means is a variable speed electric motor connected to the second end of the roller.
 3. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the roller has a groove formed along the band of openings extending therethrough for guiding fibers into contact with said band of openings.
 4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the opening on the outer surface of the drum spans a length of not greater than about one-half of the circumference of the drum.
 5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the opening on the outer surface of the drum is directed generally upwardly.
 6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the openings of the roller are a plurality of holes having a diameter not greater than about one thirty-second inch.
 7. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a band of screen materials selected from the group consisting of metal and glass is mounted about the outer surface of the roller for providing the band of openings of the roller.
 8. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, further including means for recovering the fluid from the vacuum source and transporting said fluid to associated processing apparatus. 